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Deodorant test of courage online: When trends become a danger
According to the BfR, if you spray deodorant onto an area of skin for a long time, in extreme cases a temperature drop of up to -30 degrees can be achieved within a few seconds. photo
© Monika Skolimowska/dpa
When young people strive for recognition and belonging through daring tests of courage, things can go wrong. Experts warn of the increasing danger of self-promotion on social media.
Eating the hottest chips in the world, running along train tracks or giving yourself frostbite with spray deodorant – what sounds like incoherent nonsense are actually tests of courage that are making the rounds on social media. Even that The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) warns against such tests of courage, which can sometimes be life-threatening.
From burns to respiratory paralysis
Because in the so-called deodorant challenge, people – especially teenagers – spray deodorant on their skin for as long as they can stand it. In extreme cases, temperature drops of up to -30 degrees can be achieved within a few seconds, it said. In addition to pain, there is a risk of massive skin damage and the affected skin area could die.
In a second version of the challenge, aerosols from deodorant spray are inhaled. According to the institute, this can “immediately lead to loss of consciousness, heart failure and respiratory paralysis.” Severe cases could be fatal or lead to permanent brain damage.
The dangerous trend also influences investigative work. A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor’s office said after an accident in Oberhausen (North Rhine-Westphalia): “We are also checking whether the explosion is related to the deodorant challenges currently in circulation.” A 22-year-old was seriously injured in an explosion from what was believed to be a large amount of deodorant in mid-September.
Is social media to blame?
The challenge spreads on social media through clips of people doing it using the corresponding hashtags. But according to communications scientist Jan-Hinrik Schmidt, platforms like Tiktok are by no means the sole trigger for the breakneck tests. “Testes of courage are a phenomenon that has probably existed for centuries in order to impress others by going beyond your limits,” Schmidt told the German Press Agency. He researches social media at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research.
During puberty, young people try things out and test their limits. “It’s also about identifying with certain groups,” explains Schmidt. Sometimes tests of courage are a kind of “rites de passage”, i.e. an entrance exam. This is where the tests in particular have a special identity and group-building function. It would be about recognition, attention and belonging.
According to the communication researcher, social media increases this effect: “You can present yourself and create your own personal public. This possibility did not exist before.” By constantly sharing photos and videos, young people not only strengthen their social relationships, but also increase the pressure on each other.